Information Architecture for Information Professionals

218 Pages·2007·8.148 MB·English

by  Susan Batley (Auth.)

Information Architecture for Information
Professionals
CHANDOS
INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL SERIES
Series Editor: Ruth Rikowski
(email: [email protected])
Chandos’new series of books are aimed at the busy information professional.They have
been specially commissioned to provide the reader with an authoritative view of current
thinking. They are designed to provide easy-to-read and (most importantly) practical
coverage of topics that are of interest to librarians and other information professionals.If
you would like a full listing of current and forthcoming titles, please visit our web site
www.chandospublishing.com or contact Hannah Grace-Williams on email
[email protected] or telephone number [phone].
New authors:we are always pleased to receive ideas for new titles;if you would like to write
a book for Chandos,please contact Dr Glyn Jones on email [email protected]
or telephone number [phone].
Bulk orders: some organisations buy a number of copies of our books. If you are
interested in doing this, we would be pleased to discuss a discount. Please contact
Hannah Grace-Williams on email [email protected] or telephone number
[phone].
Information Architecture for
Information Professionals
S B
UE ATLEY
Chandos Publishing
Oxford · England
Chandos Publishing (Oxford) Limited
Chandos House
5 & 6 Steadys Lane
Stanton Harcourt
Oxford OX29 5RL
UK
Tel:[phone] Fax:[phone]
Email:[email protected]
www.chandospublishing.com
First published in Great Britain in 2007
ISBN:
978 1 84334 232 8 (paperback)
978 1 84334 233 5 (hardback)
1 84334 232 4 (paperback)
1 84334 233 2 (hardback)
© Sue Batley,2007
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
All rights reserved.No part of this publication may be reproduced,stored in or introduced into
a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical,
photocopying,recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the Publishers.
This publication may not be lent,resold,hired out or otherwise disposed of by way of trade in
any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published without the prior consent
of the Publishers.Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may
be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
The Publishers make no representation,express or implied,with regard to the accuracy of the
information contained in this publication and cannot accept any legal responsibility or liability
for any errors or omissions.
The material contained in this publication constitutes general guidelines only and does not
represent to be advice on any particular matter.No reader or purchaser should act on the basis
of material contained in this publication without first taking professional advice appropriate to
their particular circumstances.
Typeset by Domex e-Data Pvt.Ltd.
Printed and bound in the UK by 4edge Ltd, Hockley. www.4edge.co.uk
For my mum and dad
List of abbreviations
ARMA Association of Records Managers and Administrators
ASK anomalous states of knowledge
ASSIA Applied Social Services Index and Abstracts
BC Bliss Bibliographic Classification
CMS content management system
DDC Dewey Decimal Classification
ERIC Education Resources Information Center (US Department of
Education)
GOMS goals, operators, methods, selection
HCI human-computer interaction/interface
HII human-information interaction
INISS Information Needs and Information Services in Local
Authority Social Services Departments
LCC Library of Congress Classification
MMI man-machine interaction
OCLC Online Computer Library Center
RNIB Royal National Institute for the Blind
UDC Universal Decimal Classification
W3C World Wide Web Consortium
WIMP window, icon, mouse, pointer/pull-down menu
xi
List of figures
1.1 Animal kingdom classification 7
2.1 Information map – search for ‘mapping information’ 15
2.2 Information flows 22
2.3 Quantitative research questions 24
2.4 Qualitative research questions 25
2.5 Task analysis: cleaning teeth 29
2.6 Task analysis: buying a book 37–8
2.7 Personas 40
3.1 Features of searching and browsing 53
3.2 Disposal of hazardous substances 55
3.3 Search for ‘hazardous substances disposal’ 59
3.4 Search for ‘disposal of hazardous substances’ 60
3.5 Dialog search 61
3.6 Google Advanced Search 64
3.7 Dialog Bluesheets: some of the searchable fields in the
Inspec database 65
3.8 Search features 66
3.9 Open Directory: home page 75
3.10 Open Directory: Reference category 77
3.11 Open Directory: Knowledge Management category 78
3.12 Open Directory: Information Architecture category 79
3.13 Polyhierarchies – Open Directory: Information Architecture
catetgory 84
xiii
Information Architecture for Information Professionals
3.14 Open Directory: Web Usability 85
4.1 Content components: one document, many uses 99
4.2 Relationships 100
4.3 MARC21: outline 102
4.4 Dublin Core 105
4.5 Thesaurus entries: abbreviations and relationships 110
5.1 Microsoft Word toolbar 126
5.2 Internet Explorer toolbar 126
5.3 Dialog Classic command interface 128
5.4 DialogWeb command interface 129
5.5 Open Directory 131
5.6 Expedia.co.uk: home page 132
5.7 British Library: home page 140
5.8 British Library: intermediate navigation page (from the
site map) 141
5.9 British Library: content page 142
5.10 bbc.co.uk: home page 143
5.11 Guardian.co.uk: home page 145
5.12 Guardian.co.uk: content page 146
5.13 TFPL: home page 147
5.14 Epicurious.com: home page 148
5.15 Open Directory: navigation links 150
5.16 BBC: A–Z 152
5.17 Firefox browser 153
5.18 Google: home page 155
5.19 Yahoo!: home page 156
5.20 London Metropolitan University: extranet home page 158
5.21 London Metropolitan University: intranet home page 159
6.1 McKeever’s hierarchy 168
xiv
List of figures
6.2 Information life cycle 170
7.1 Information architect: job titles 192
7.2 Information architecture: skills 193
xv
Preface
This book examines the field of information architecture from the
perspective of an information professional and is intended to explain
concepts in a way that will be accessible to information professionals as
well as to a wider readership. The aim is to explain information
architecture partly within the context of traditional librarianship, and
partly within the context of systems design. Subjects of relevance to the
study of information architecture are varied and wide-ranging; this book
does not claim to cover all aspects in depth, but to provide an overview
of issues to the extent that basic theoretical and practical understanding
is developed.
The text is arranged into six chapters:
(cid:1)
Chapter 1: Information architecture: an introduction. This chapter
examines the scope of the subject and discusses the various ways in
which information architecture has been defined. It goes on to
examine core concepts of information architecture: indexing,
classification, cataloguing and user-centred design.
(cid:1)
Chapter 2: The preliminaries. This chapter focuses upon the pre-
design stages of developing information architectures. The ultimate
use and effectiveness of an information system is dependent upon a
thorough investigation of user needs, organisational needs, tasks and
individual resources. Each of these areas is explained in detail, and the
usefulness of various research methods is discussed. The summary
demonstrates how the preliminary design stages feed into the overall
systems development.
(cid:1)
Chapter 3: Searching and finding. This chapter focuses upon search
and retrieval facilities. Specific search features are put into the context
of the search strategy with an examination of analytical and browsing
strategies. Then search engine features and taxonomy creation are
examined in depth.
xvii